


Servitude’s Affair

by Pandora54321



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arturia isn’t a king but acts like one, F/M, Grief/Mourning, He literally is so in denial that dreamkidu has to come set him straight, Hed have a much easier time if they had complex grief therapy in mesopotamia, It’s not Caster Gil or archer gil, M/M, Pining, Romance, This man cockblocks HIMSELF, Unrequited Love, Well he’s still a demigod but nothing else, Wet Dream, and falls in love, and he’s SO IN DENIAL, but not actually, but they dont, but this is after his immortality quest so he’s more mature, denial is not just a river in egypt, hes just a strong human w no powers, it shouldn’t be a long one, just a short n sweet romance, no powers but in ancient Mesopotamia, or more like he’s cockblocked by grief, poor gil, so he’s angsty, youll find out why later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:21:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandora54321/pseuds/Pandora54321
Summary: “That is all. The girl named Arturia has died, executed by the hands of King Gilgamesh.” Gilgamesh said. “Now starts your new life, one as my personal servant. You can keep your name if you wish, or I can rename you if you desire so.”In ancient Mesopotamia, one lonely king meets an uncommon criminal, and on a whim, makes her his personal servant. What conflicts could arise from this arrangement?
Relationships: Enkidu | False Lancer/Gilgamesh | Archer (past), Gilgamesh | Archer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

King Gilgamesh sat perched on his throne from above in the large ziggurat, rendering judgement upon the common people down below. That was, in a word, the king’s job—judgement. He oversaw the problems of his country and made a decision. He worked in order to create prosperity in this country. 

A country that had been in ruins less than half a year ago. No one except Siduri remained in the city when the king returned home from his long journey. 

And now that he was home, he’d returned to his duties as Uruk’s king. Sitting in court was one of those duties. He sat on the throne and listened to the troubles of the populace one by one. After hearing their complaints, he rendered his judgement. After that, the matter was out of his hands, and it was the job of his subordinates to make his decisions a reality. 

In brief, the king was bored. Ever since he’d returned from his seven year long immortality quest, he’d been working nonstop in order to bring Uruk back to its former glory, and most of all to regain the trust of his returning citizens. There had been an enormous pressure placed on him in order to appear as though he was the same king he used to be. 

In truth, he wasn’t. 

Or at least, he didn’t think he was. 

The person he used to be felt so distant now, almost like an entirely different entity. He felt as though a part of him had been locked away inside his heart after Enkidu died. The key to that side of him was one only Enkidu possessed, and it had been lost the day he lost his best friend. 

In a way, Gilgamesh could no longer find a sense of identity in his title as king, nor in his status as demigod. He felt more normal than ever before, knowing that he’d end up dead just like every other human. 

All humans were equal in death. 

Including him. 

He’d become a rotting corpse in the ground, with no title or status. Just a feast for the worms. 

Anyway, all Gilgamesh had left to entertain himself was dark and dreary thoughts. It really was no wonder why he’d throw himself wholeheartedly into his duty as king. He had little else to do. 

It was then when court was interrupted by three guards forcing their way through with a young boy restrained in chains. The guards forced the boy to his knees in front of Gilgamesh. “My King, we caught this boy pilfering food from lord Milas.” 

Gilgamesh scanned the young boy. He was covered in scratches and bruises, likely having resisted arrest once caught. He was a rather scrawny blonde boy who looked to be in his teens. His clothes were loose and baggy, and of the cheapest quality. 

As Gilgamesh looked down on the boy from his throne, the boy glared up at him with his bright green eyes, burning with rage. 

“I wish to hear his story.” Gilgamesh said. 

The boy looked slightly surprised. He stayed that way until one of the guards jabbed him with a spear and demanded that he speak. 

“My childhood friend is ill. I came from Ur to Uruk in search of new medicine, but have come up unlucky. I support us both by working in the fields but it is not enough. I was stealing some food so that my friend and I could eat.” The boy said. 

“Why did you steal from a noble? You could have gotten away with it if you’d have stolen from some local merchant.” Gilgamesh said. 

“I would never steal from someone who would suffer as a result. I stole from a noble because he has more food than he could ever need. Though, perhaps I should have stolen directly from the king, as he seems to be the greediest pig of them all.” The boy glared. 

It was only a moment later that the boy was struck by one of the guards for his insolence. It was then that Gilgamesh made a shocking discovery. “Honestly...I was not expecting for a woman to pose as a boy in order to work in the fields.” He said. 

The boy—or rather, the woman—seemed shocked. 

“It is true, is it not? You are a woman.” Gilgamesh once again said. 

“Yes, it is true. I was indeed born a girl named Arturia. I work in the fields because there is no other way for me to provide for my friend. Now, if I may ask, how did you deduce my gender?” 

Gilgamesh shrugged. “You cried out just now as you were being struck.” This didn’t seem to be a specific enough answer for the woman, so he clarified. “I have heard many women cry out in my days of living.” 

The woman was now glaring at him, understanding the impropriety of his statement. 

The way the girl glared intrigued Gilgamesh. She always looked directly into his eyes, completely unafraid. It had been a long time since someone looked at him like that. 

“The punishment for theft in this country is death. You can beg for mercy, you know. One tends to be a lot more lenient when dealing with women and children.” Gilgamesh said, resting his head on his fist. “If you beg nicely enough I may let you off with merely losing your hands.” 

Arturia bit her lip, seemingly enraged. “Beg for my life? I would never bring myself so low!” 

“Really? You may say that now, but your answer might change once you are faced with the sword. Life really is a precious thing. It’s best to prolong your time before the worms take to your flesh.” 

“As I said, your majesty, I would never bring myself so low as to beg. Perhaps you may consider the loss of only one’s hands a mercy, but what would be left for me after that? I’d no longer be able to work in the fields, and all that’s left is for me to starve along with my ill friend. Of course, the great king Gilgamesh knows not of mercy. Your reputation is strong even in the other cities. My expectations of you were low from the start, but you’re even worse than I thought. Wherever you went for those seven years, you should have stayed gone! Perhaps someone more competent could have risen to the throne!” 

Gilgamesh stood up from his seat on the throne. “I was willing to show mercy for the crime of theft, but I take the crime of impudence far more seriously. For this crime, I am sentencing you to death. I will have your head.” 

Arturia was immediately forced to kneel on the floor as one of the guards prepared to lop off her head. 

“Stop. I will do it myself.” Gilgamesh said, descending the steps to the throne. 

Of course, no one questioned this decision aloud. Gilgamesh knew that Siduri was probably looking at him strangely right about now, but didn’t care. This was far too amusing a chance to let pass by. 

One of the guards fell to his knees and offered his sword to his king. Gilgamesh accepted it and gripped the sword with both hands, standing to the side of the strange girl. 

Arturia was firmly held down with no chance of escape. She braced herself to feel a sword implant itself in her neck, only for her to hear the sword slice down onto the clay floor beside her. She opened her eyes and looked to her right as much as she could. She watched the sword be tossed onto the floor next to her. 

“That is all. The girl named Arturia has died, executed by the hands of King Gilgamesh.” Gilgamesh said. “Now starts your new life, one as my personal servant. You can keep your name if you wish, or I can rename you if you desire so.” 

The guards released Arturia, and she was finally able to look up and see the grin on his face. “Who...who are you to decide that?!” She yelled. 

“Take her away and have her bathed and dressed. Her duties will start tomorrow.” Gilgamesh told the guards. 

“Yes, sire.” The guards began to pull Arturia away. 

“Hold on! Wait a minute! I never agreed to this!” Arturia screamed as she resisted. However, her light body wasn’t enough to stop the guards, and she was dragged away cursing and screaming. 

Gilgamesh climbed the steps back to his throne and sat. “What are you all staring at? Court is not over. Get back to work, I do not have time to waste.” He said to the line of onlookers in his ziggurat. 

When court ended, Siduri approached him, like he’d already anticipated. 

“Would you mind explaining that earlier scene to me, My King?” Siduri asked. 

“You sure became insolent in the seven years I was gone, eh Siduri?” Gilgamesh replied lightly, a clay tablet in his hand. 

“I will rephrase my question. I would be honored if you could explain your decision to make that criminal your servant, My King.” 

Gilgamesh put down the tablet. “It was nothing. Just a whim. I found that girl entertaining, and wanted to play with her a little more.” 

“Neither your people or our neighboring sister cities will look upon you favorably if you take on a criminal as your partner.” 

“I never said I wanted her as a partner. I merely wish to toy with her, that is all.” 

Siduri didn’t look convinced. “Please just do not let this get out of hand, King Gilgamesh. We are still trying to gain the trust of the populace right now.” 

“I understand. However, life has been exceedingly boring since I returned. I at least want some entertainment in my life. Besides, remember my old pet lion that used to live with me in this palace? He died while I was gone on my journey.” 

“Yes, I remember, My King.” 

“Well, I think it is time I found a new pet—perhaps a lioness this time.” Gilgamesh tapped his fingernails against the arm on his throne. 

——

Gilgamesh was awakened by the shake of a servant. “Ten more minutes, Siduri.” He grumbled and turned over in his bed, pulling the covers up over his eyes. 

Suddenly, the pillow he was resting his head on was yanked out from under him and his covers were ripped off his body. The jolt from his head suddenly hitting the mattress fully woke him up. He sat up with an infuriated look on his face. “You damned—“ His voice fell short after seeing the perpetrator. 

Arturia stood before him, her hair down from the bun he saw her in yesterday. She wore a white top that was cropped enough to show her belly, with short sleeves that hung off her shoulders and a tight white skirt that showed off the side of one of her legs. Gilgamesh wasn’t at all surprised to see her in such an outfit, because he’d been the one to assign her this uniform the night before. 

“Kings should not oversleep. You have duties to attend to.” Arturia said, a disgusted expression on her face. 

“Ah, it is you. I see, now the impudence makes sense.” Gilgamesh sighed. However, he was happy on the inside. Surely he’d have an interesting day if this girl was around to play with. “Well, first order of business, I quite like that new uniform on you.” He said this in an almost suggestive tone. 

“This uniform? Well, it is certainly the highest quality I have ever worn in an article of clothing.” Arturia said, smoothing out her skirt. 

That was a...strange reaction. Where was her embarrassment? Wasn’t she used to being seen in men’s clothing? She should now be flustered showing off so much skin! “Well, what do you think of your new uniform?” Gilgamesh asked. 

“Well, if you must know, I am not entirely fond of it. It provides little protection from the outside elements due to the lack of covering fabric. Not only that, but this tight skirt restricts the movements of my legs. Therefore, this ensemble provides neither mobility nor protection. I find it entirely impractical.” Arturia said. 

This was...not the reaction Gilgamesh had been hoping for. He was hoping to make her flustered, but she didn’t seem to care about how much of her skin was exposed. Well, it didn’t matter. There were surely other ways of making a woman flustered. He stood up from the bed. 

Arturia turned around to pick up a basket. “I have your clothing for today right here, My King.” 

“Wonderful. Put them on me.” Gilgamesh said, suppressing a smirk. 

“You want me to dress you? Are you some sort of a child?” Arturia asked. 

Honestly, she must have been the only person in this city that had the ferocity to say such things to him. “No, I am perfectly adult. But I am also the king. I cannot be bothered with paltry tasks like dressing. That is the job of my personal servants.” 

Arturia raised an eyebrow at him, then sighed. “Are you at least able to undress on your own?” 

“No. That is also a task for my servant.” ‘I will see her flustered yet!’ Gilgamesh thought. 

Arturia approached him and began to remove his night robes. By the end, he was entirely naked. 

“Well, what do you think?” Gilgamesh said, in all his naked glory, flaunting his toned and perfect body. 

“What do I think about what?” Arturia asked. 

This question irked him slightly. “My body.” 

“What about it?” 

Gilgamesh was losing patience. “How does it look?” 

Arturia stepped back to assess what she was looking at. Then she stepped forward and used her fist to knock on his chest like one would do to a wooden door. “You look to be in great health, My King. I am sure you will live for many more years.” 

“I was not asking you to measure my health!” Gilgamesh snapped. 

Arturia stepped back at the abrupt yelling. 

Gilgamesh realized his mistake and calmed down. “In any case, it is time to get ready. Hurry and clothe me.” 

Arturia hurried and dressed Gilgamesh up in his fine robes, later adorning him in golden jewelry. 

Gilgamesh sat down. He handed Arturia a small jar. “Use this to do my hair.” 

“This?” Arturia took the jar into her hands. Inside it was a slick, perfumed substance. “You want me to use this pomade to make your hair stand up like it did yesterday?” 

“Yes. Make it look like how it did yesterday.” 

Arturia nodded her head. Gilgamesh closed his eyes and let Arturia run the thick substance through his hair. When he opened his eyes and peered into a polished bronze mirror, he found his hair sticking up in crude, uneven spikes at the top of his head. “What are you doing?!” 

“I am doing your hair!” 

“Why does it look like that?!” 

“This...this is my first time doing something like this!” 

Gilgamesh wrenched himself away from her and began to fix his hair before the pomade dried. He managed to make it look decent with what little time he had left, then sighed. “Arturia, could it be that you are actually obscenely incompetant?” 

“N-not obscenely! I am only incompetant at certain tasks like cooking! I am good at other things! I have just never tried to do someone's hair before!” 

“Why did you not ask for help?!” 

“B-because…” 

Gilgamesh understood. This girl was too prideful and stubborn to ask for help. So instead she nearly messed up his hair in an attempt to save face. He gave a deep sigh, this girl was much more troublesome than he thought. “Come, it is time for breakfast.” Gilgamesh left the room and walked down the hallways towards the dining hall. Arturia followed behind him, allowing him to lead the way since she didn’t yet know the layout of the palace. 

Once in the dining hall, Gilgamesh sat down at the table. Immediately, plates of food were brought out and spread out on the table in front of him. 

Arturia’s eyes went wide at the sheer amount of food in front of her. Not to mention that it all smelled absolutely delicious. 

Gilgamesh noticed Arturia’s staring. He was rather glad for it too. Even if he couldn’t capture her attention with his beauty, there were still other ways to enrapture her. It just so happened to be that she was weak to food. “You will strain your eyes if you stare so hard.” Gilgamesh said. “If you want it so badly, you can come and have some. It is far too much for me to eat on my own anyway.” 

Arturia looked at the food hungrily. “It...it would be improper for a servant to sit at the same table as her king…” She hung onto her pride. 

“Then I suppose you would have the leftovers from this meal go to waste?” 

“Waste?” 

“Yes, I could not possibly eat all this food myself. The rest of it would surely go to waste.” 

“Well, that would...certainly be a shame.” Arturia said. 

“Then come eat. I will allow it for now.” Gilgamesh said. 

Arturia sighed, then came and sat down at the table. “Shame on you. This is the height of impropriety.” She said as she collected food onto her plate and began to eat. Her eyes opened wide once she took her first bite. It was the most delicious food she’d ever tasted in her entire life. She ate more and more, sampling each of the foods on the table. She’d never felt so hungry in all her life! 

‘So the way to this girl's heart is through her stomach.’ Gilgamesh thought. At least there was a way to charm this girl. After how she reacted to his body, he almost thought it was an impossible endeavor. “I see you like to eat.” 

Arturia looked at him as if she just realized he was still there. She’d been busy shoving an entire leg of honey-coated ham into her mouth. She put the ham leg down and finished chewing and swallowing her food, then cleared her throat. “Indeed. I love good food. It is just rare that I have the occasion to taste it.” 

“Truly the worlds we live in are opposites. It is a rare occasion for me to have unpalatable food.” Gilgamesh said. The exception was of course his seven year long immortality quest, where all the food he ate was scavenged, hunted, and cooked by his unskillful hands. 

“Well, you certainly are one of the lucky few, sire.” Arturia said. 

“Certainly.” Gilgamesh agreed. “I must say, I was expecting you to be angrier with me today. Especially since this is your first day.” 

“I was angry with you. I was actually planning on strangling you the moment we were alone together. However, that was before Siduri explained to me the details of this job, including how much I would be paid everyday. It is more than I could make in the fields in a week. It should be more than enough to afford any food or aid for Guinevere and myself. Not to mention that Guinevere will be getting her own clean shelter to reside in. In the end, the offer was more generous than I had imagined.” Arturia said calmly. “However, I hope you understand that I will be taking this job as your servant seriously. I will not tolerate any slacking off.” 

“You realize _I_ am supposed to be _your_ boss, right?” 

“Siduri says that one of my jobs is to make sure you are always on task and that you do not become distracted. I am to report on your behavior to her every night.” 

‘Damn that Siduri.’ Gilgamesh thought. She didn’t trust him at all. Well, he supposed that was fair. Gilgamesh didn’t exactly have a good reputation when it came to women. At least he knew he was being monitored sooner rather than later. 

Breakfast ended and it was finally time for court to start. Gilgamesh left to hold court and hear the complaints of his people. Arturia left to attend to other duties and tasks assigned to her. 

Arturia arrived at the servant wing of the palace. She was told another servant was going to give her a tour of the palace. 

“Are you the new servant?” A girl with long wavy brown hair asked. 

“Ah, yes. My name is Arturia.” 

“Hello, Arturia. My name is Rin. I am one of the servants at the palace. Pleased to meet you.” Rin smiled and said. 

“I am pleased to meet you as well.” Arturia replied. 

“Now, I will show you all around the palace. I can also help you grow accustomed to the work you will be doing here. However, your job differs slightly from mine in that you work much closer to the king. However, while the king is doing his duties in court, it is likely you will be helping me with the daily chores of a servant.” Rin explained. 

“I see.” Arturia nodded. 

“Well, come with me, then.” 

Rin showed Arturia all around the palace, explaining every detail of its structure and purpose. They ended off with the kitchen area. 

“This is the kitchen. It is where all the meals for the king are prepared. Most servants eat there as well, though I heard you were spotted dining at the royal table with the king this morning.” 

Arturia suddenly flushed. “The king invited me…” 

“I understand. One must not refuse an invitation from the king, after all.” Rin said with a sly expression. 

“Ah, Rin! Is that the new servant I heard about?” A young man with bright red hair said. 

“Yes Shirou. This is Arturia. She is the king’s new personal attendant.” Rin said. “Arturia, this is shirou. He is the head chef at this kitchen.” 

“Hello, Arturia.” Shirou said with a wide grin. 

“Um, were you the one behind the meal the king ate this morning?” Arturia asked. 

“Yes I was. I am in charge of all the king’s meals.” 

“It was very delicious! You are extremely talented!” Arturia praised. 

“Eh? You mean you ate some?” 

“Yes, the king invited me to eat breakfast with him. It was delicious.” 

“Well, I am glad you think so! It makes me happy that you like my food.” Shirou smiled. 

Arturia felt strange butterflies in her stomach seeing Shirou smile. He was a very nice young man, and his cooking was superb. 

“Anyway, that is all for today’s tour. Do be sure to tell the king about what a great job I did. Be sure to ask me any questions if you have them.” 

“I will, Rin, thank you. I will come to you for any advice as my superior.” Arturia said. 

“Eh? Superior? No, not at all. If anything, you are my superior.” Rin said. 

“But you have worked here far longer than me, right?” 

“Ah, yes, but...you do not seem to understand your position here. You are the king’s hand-chosen personal attendant. The only person you would be subordinate to here is the king and Siduri, the head priestess.” 

“R-really?! My position is that high?!” Arturia asked. 

“So long as you have the king’s favor, absolutely. Honestly, any girl would die to get in your position right now. If you played your cards right, you could have more power over the king than anyone else. You could practically rule Uruk from the shadows!” 

“Rin, only you would think about doing something like that. I am sure Arturia was not planning on becoming some powerful shadow mistress.” Shirou said. 

“Yeah, I was only going to provide for an ill friend of mine. I never thought I would have any actual power…” Arturia said. 

“You are too innocent, Arturia. You could rule Uruk from the King’s bedchamber with the opportunity you have now.” 

“Rin, you cannot say such things!” Shirou shushed her. 

“From his bedchamber? What do you mean?” 

Rin suddenly clammed up. “W-well, you know, just considering your position and what you are being made to wear...you are sleeping with the king right?” 

“You mean sex? Siduri never told me that would be one of my duties. I was told that this outfit was just a uniform as well.” 

“I...see…” Rin said. “The situation is more complicated than I thought, then. Forgive me for assuming.” 

“See, Rin? I told you that we should not jump to conclusions about them!” Shirou chastised. 

“I get it, I get it…” Rin said. 

“I will...ask Siduri about that. I had not thought of it before.” Arturia said. 

“Yeah, that is a good idea.” Rin said. 

Arturia approached Siduri the next time she met the older woman. “Um, Siduri, I was wondering...is it one of my duties to have sex with the king?” She asked rather bluntly. 

“I figured you would ask me that eventually. Though, honestly I was expecting the question to come after giving you that new uniform…” Siduri began. “In short: no. I already asked the king about his intentions, and he said he would not return to his old habits. I am sure you have heard of his reputation as a horrible despot who slept with any women he wanted. Well, he assured me that those days are over. He said that he will not force anything on you, and has no intention of sleeping with you as of right now.” 

“Really? I see.” 

“Are you relieved?” 

“Well, I suppose so. To be honest, I have never had sex before so I do not know everything it entails. I suppose it is better that I do not have another new duty.” Arturia said. 

“Indeed.” Siduri said. What the woman was most surprised about was that Arturia seemed to see the act of sleeping with the king as a duty. With the way she spoke, it seemed like she’d been ready to submit herself to that fate if it were necessary. “Arturia, if you are finished with your duties, you may go visit your friend if you would like. I know you must be anxious to see them again, now that they have been relocated to a residence in the inner district.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes, please be back by sunset, as that is when court ends. I am sure the king will want you back by that time.” 

“Thank you, Siduri!” Arturia said. 

Fifteen minutes later, Arturia was escorted to the residence in which Guinevere was residing. She brought along some food she bought on the way for her friend to eat. 

She finally arrived at the house. “Guinevere?” She asked as she entered. 

“I am here, Arturia.” Guinevere, Arturia’s sick friend, said sitting up in her bed. She smiled. 

“I am glad you are safe.” Arturia said. “I brought some food. None of it was made by me, if that makes you feel safer.” 

Guinevere accepted the food graciously. “I am afraid I do not have much appetite.” 

“I thought not. You were relocated rather suddenly. That must have been stressful.” Arturia said. 

“How is it working at the palace?” 

“The people at the palace are very kind.” 

“And the king? Is he as bad as they say?” 

“No. I had heard that he had become more mature since returning to Uruk, but I did not believe it at first.” 

“He is not planning on violating you, right? That outfit you are wearing…” 

“It is only a uniform. Though it was hand-picked by the king, I will admit. I was told that sex would not be one of my duties.” 

“Good. I will not tolerate you sacrificing yourself for my sake.” Guinevere said. 

Arturia sighed. “You have nothing to worry about. I will protect you.” 

“If you say that, it will only make me worry more…” Guinevere said. 

“Enough about that. How are you feeling?” Arturia asked. 

“Well enough. I was certainly shocked about this new living arrangement, but it is much cleaner and nicer than where we were previously living.” 

“Yes, hopefully your condition will improve in a cleaner living space. Now, most importantly, you must eat.” 

“Yes, I will.” Guinevere smiled. Her smile was delicate, like porcelain. Just as frail as her. She began to eat the food Arturia brought her in slow bites. 

Arturia watched over her friend until it was time to return to the palace. She arrived at the palace as the sun was going down. She met the king in the ziggurat, who had apparently been waiting for her. 

“You are late.” Gilgamesh said.

“I was told to arrive by sunset.” Arturia said. 

“Well, certainly as my personal servant, you should have been able to deduce that court would end before sunset this evening.” 

“I apologize. Next time I will be sure to read your mind.” 

The ziggurat was awash in golden light from the sun, bathed in hues of red, orange, and yellow. 

“Come, it is time for supper.” Gilgamesh said, and led Arturia away. 

They once again sat in the dining hall. Arturia was asked to sit with him just like that morning. 

“How was your first day working at the palace?” Gilgamesh asked, eating his spicy beef stew with lentils and cheese on the side. 

“It was good. I met many nice people today. There was a nice girl that showed me around the palace, and a very kind young man in the kitchen gave me some food he made.” 

Gilgamesh’s ears pricked up. “A young man?” 

“Yes. His name is Shirou. He is in charge of making your meals. I complimented his food. Tomorrow I was going to ask him if I could take some of his food to share with Guinevere. I am not sure if she will have the appetite to eat it, but it would be a shame for her to not try it.” 

Gilgamesh didn’t like the way Arturia talked about the young man. His muscles tensed when he heard her say that boy's name. So one of his chefs saw fit to flirt with his new pet? That couldn’t be tolerated. He’d have to solve this problem later. But it wouldn’t do to just straight away execute the boy. He had to handle this with at least a little tact, or else Siduri would certainly scold him. “I am glad you find the other servants agreeable. Just let me know if any of them bother you.” 

“Is it true that I have your favor?” Arturia asked. 

Gilgamesh glanced in her direction. “It is curious that it has taken you so long to ask me this. Did someone say something?” 

“Yes. Someone told me I have the power to rule Uruk from the shadows so long as I have your favor.” 

Gilgamesh spit out some of his stew in shock. He couldn’t believe that someone in the palace had the guts to say something like that. “Which servant said this to you?” 

“Will it get them in trouble?” 

“Obviously!” 

“Then I will not tell you.” Arturia said, turning her head. 

Gilgamesh sighed. “Well, if anything, it is true that you have my favor for the moment. I found you entertaining, and wished to keep you by my side. However, do not even think about trying to rule my country from the shadows. It would not be nearly as easy as you think. I am not that stupid.” 

“I was not planning to. All I want now is to provide for Guinevere. I have no intentions of ruling Uruk. Moreover, if I were to rule a country, I certainly would not want to do it from the shadows. If I were a ruler, I’d make sure that everyone knew me.”

“Well, good luck with that.” Gilgamesh said dismissively. 

Arturia irately went back to eating her stew. “Do not underestimate me. I am positive I could do a better job as king than you ever could.” 

“Truly? I’d love to see that. Let me know when you find a country willing to take you as their ruler.” Gilgamesh said, spooning in another mouthful of stew. 

Arturia simmered in her anger. “If you would like to see it so badly, why do you not hand over your country for a day? I could do more in a single day than you could in a week.” 

“I will not give up my country to anyone.” Arturia said obstinately. 

“Did you not give it up earlier for seven _long_ years?” 

“That was—!” Gilgamesh grunted and held his tongue. 

“Was what?” 

“A mistake. One I will never repeat.” 

“What were you even doing for those seven years? I bet you were taking part in all sorts of shameful deeds. You probably slept with dozens of women and ate tons of different delicacies.” 

“That is enough, Arturia. I do not wish to talk about this further.” 

“Where did you even go?” 

“Arturia!” 

“To the far off cities of Akkad, perhaps? You certainly were not in Sumer.” 

“That’s enough!” 

“They searched all over for you. People came to our doorsteps in Ur looking for the lost king. So what selfish adventure had the king embarked upon?” 

“I was searching for Utnapishtim in the underworld. I was on a quest for an escape from death.” Gilgamesh said bitterly. 

That certainly shut Arturia up. She wasn’t expecting such an answer with a somber tone. She reflected upon her words and her assumptions for a few minutes. “I’m sorry. I said something very rude.” 

“Indeed, you did. I _should_ have your head for this, but I will grant you mercy for now.” Gilgamesh said, continuing to eat his stew. “I will forgive you if you kiss the ground at my feet.” 

Arturia shot him a disgusted look. “You are a despicable man.” 

Ah, that was exactly the response Gilgamesh had been hoping for. This woman certainly was entertaining. “And you are the most irritating woman I have ever met.” 

After dinner, Gilgamesh was escorted back to his bedchamber. 

“I am taking a bath after dinner, would you like to come with me?” Gilgamesh asked. 

Arturia held a basket of clothes he was meant to change in after his bath. She set it down on the bed. 

“If you are worried that I will attack you, you are mistaken. I have no intention of doing anything inappropriate to you.” 

“Even if you did, I would not stop you.” Arturia said. 

“What?” 

“I said I would not stop you.” 

“That cannot be right. Are you saying you would not resist being raped?” 

“I need this job to provide for Guinevere. I cannot risk losing it, no matter what happens to me. Otherwise, we will be back on the streets.” 

“Even if you must provide for your friend, you should have more regard for yourself and your well-being. Nothing good will come from that level of selflessness.” 

“But simple things like my life and my body don’t matter in comparison to my responsibilities.” 

“Fool! What could matter more?!” 

“My pride—my individuality. That is the one thing I will refuse to give up, regardless of circumstance. I can give away my body or my life, but I will never forsake my pride.” 

Gilgamesh was slightly stunned. This woman had incredible strength of self, despite being a simple peasant woman. “Well, regardless, I will not do anything to you, so I will ask again: would you like to bathe with me?” 

“Sure, King Gilgamesh. I will take you up on that offer.” Arturia said, finally showing a slight smile. 

The beautiful and serene smile on Arturia’s face seemed to light up the room, which was previously dim from candlelight. Her hair glowed golden and her emerald eyes sparkled. She was radiant. 

The two entered the bathroom. The bathtub was built into the ground, and was filled with enough water that one could stand up straight and still be covered up to their chest. Moreover, the water was so hot it was steaming. It was very different to Arturia, who was used to bathing in a cold basin. She saw Gilgamesh stripping in the corner of her eye and decided to do the same. 

When Gilgamesh looked over to Arturia, her clothes were already on the floor, because his robes were far more complicated than hers. He studied her body, from her feet to her head, and one thought came to mind. Or perhaps it was better said that only one appropriate thought came to mind. “Arturia, how old are you?” 

“Twenty-five, sire.” Arturia answered immediately. 

“I thought so. You look much younger.” 

Suddenly Arturia flushed red with anger. “Hmph! It seems my body is not adequate enough for the king!” 

“Huh?” 

“You are just like Kay. I know they are small, but Guinevere tells me that it does not matter, even if they are smaller than hers! She says she would gladly trade her bosom for a strong body like mine! Besides, a warrior has no need for a woman’s body! I am a knight first, woman second.” 

“...I was not talking about your breasts.” Gilgamesh said with a sigh. “Anyway—!” 

Before he could say anything further, Arturia was up against him attempting to remove the clothes from his body. “You talk too much. We do not have all the time in the world. I was told your duties do not end at sunset.” 

“S-stop that, insolent woman!” Gilgamesh pushed her off, his face flushed. “You know, you cannot come so close to a man with such little on your body and expect him to be unaffected by it!” 

“Unaffected? What does that mean?” Arturia tilted her head in confusion. 

“Nevermind. Let us bathe.” Gilgamesh stepped into the bath, Arturia coming in soon after. 

The water was hot and relaxing. It helped to soothe his muscles, which ached from sitting on his throne all day. He relaxed onto a seat carved into the tub. 

“Ahhhh~” 

Gilgamesh turned his head at the noise. Arturia was fully relaxed onto a seat across from him, a blissful smile on her face. 

“The water is so hot and relaxing! I could almost fall asleep~” 

“Who was it, then, that said that my duties do not end after sunset?” 

Arturia snapped to attention. Apparently, she’d forgotten that she was in the company of her king. 

“You realize that your duties have not ended either, correct?” 

Arturia cleared her throat. “Of course I know that.” 

“Then come here and wash my hair.” Gilgamesh commanded. 

Arturia approached Gilgamesh and he turned sideways to give her access to his scalp. He closed his eyes as Arturia lathered soap into her hands and began to massage it into his hair. The pomade that was holding his hair up melted away with the soap. 

Gilgamesh let out a breath. “I had forgotten, but it is rather nice to be pampered by a beautiful woman.” Gilgamesh mused aloud. 

“I do not know if I can relate to that, but it is rather nice when Guinevere combs my hair.” Of course his musing wouldn’t be very relatable to a woman that had lived in poverty her whole life. Arturia tipped his head back and rinsed the water from his hair. “Sire, why do you wear your hair up all the time? I like it better when it is down like this. It makes you look more approachable.” 

“A king is not meant to look approachable. A king is meant to look intimidating.” Gilgamesh said. 

“Is that so.” Arturia grabbed a washcloth and covered it with soap. She then made a move to begin to wash his body. 

Gilgamesh immediately retreated. “What in Mesopotamia are you doing?!” 

“I am trying to wash your body.” 

“You cannot come up to a man naked like that!” 

“Why not? I thought this was one of my duties.” Arturia approached him again. 

Gilgamesh grabbed her wrists and pinned her back against the tub. He then realized what position they were in. Perhaps he was the only one to realize this, because Arturia was still glaring at him with annoyed eyes. “Do you really not feel anything?” He asked finally. 

“Hm? Feel what?” Arturia asked. 

Gilgamesh let go of her wrists and released her, snatching the washcloth from her hands. “Nevermind.” He said. “I will wash my body on my own.” He was almost bitter as he said this. 

They both finished bathing and exited the tub, drying off and dressing into new clothes. 

Gilgamesh sat down in a seat next to his desk, picking up a clay tablet out of a stack brought by Siduri. 

“What’s that? A plan for new irrigation channels?” Arturia looked over his shoulder. 

“Arturia, you can read?” Gilgamesh asked. 

“Hm? Of course I can.” 

“Were you in training to be a priestess?” Gilgamesh asked. The only women who learned how to read in Mesopotamia were priestesses. 

“No, otherwise I wouldn’t have worked in the fields all my life.” 

“Why did you learn how to read?” 

“You should know already. I was raised as a boy. I attended a scribe school like every other boy. Though, Merlin trained me slightly more in academics than what was offered at a typical school.” 

“You mean you did not only dress as a man, you were actually _raised_ as a man as well.” 

“Yes. I was raised to be as much of a boy as you or any other man in Mesopotamia. You are the only man to this day to discover my gender.” 

“Why were you raised in such a peculiar way?” 

“I do not know. Merlin said I would find out when the time came. Until then, I was to work on my strength of body and mind.” 

“Strength? Ah, I see. That makes sense. I was told you took down six guards with a wooden sword before being apprehended.” 

“Indeed. No one can best me in swordplay. I imagine not even you could defeat me.” 

“Is that so? But, you already know, yes, that I am the strongest man in all of Mesopotamia?” The only person who rivaled him in strength was Enkidu, who was now gone. 

“But you already know, yes, that I am no man.” Arturia countered. 

This woman…really was interesting. Regardless of whether she actually could take him on in a fight, having the guts to challenge him was certainly something. He wanted to know more about her. 

“Is there anything left for me to do, or have I fulfilled my duties?” 

“Not yet. I would like you to keep my company while I work. Go sit down.” 

Arturia sat down on a couch. “Would you like me to talk?” 

“No, just sit there in silence until I finish my work.” Gilgamesh said. 

Arturia found this order strange. He wanted her to sit there and do nothing? What kind of duty was that? 

In reality, though, her duty was far greater than she realized. Her duty was to stave off the loneliness of the king. So that Gilgamesh didn’t feel _as_ miserable while working. 

And to his surprise—it worked. 

Gilgamesh was able to be more productive than he’d been in a very long time. And it was all thanks to his new personal servant. He looked back at her, and found she was asleep in her seat. Her face was surprisingly peaceful whilst she slept, and he realized that she was a girl that carried a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Well, it only added to her beauty. 

Speaking of her beauty, he almost wasn’t able to handle himself when they took a bath together earlier. She has no concept of being a “proper” female, likely due to her upbringing as a male. Therefore, she lacked consideration towards his...manly urges. He’d have to tell Siduri to inform her of the proper way to act around men later. 

He tapped Arturia on the shoulder lightly to rouse her. Instead of rouse, however, she jolted up and threw him to the ground, preparing to fight. She stopped when she realized who he was. “My king! I apologise. I am not used to being woken in such a manner.” 

Gilgamesh’s ass hurt where he was thrown down. “I see.” Having a warrior woman as a servant had its downsides, it seemed. Although, that was honestly a little arousing. He stood up and cleared his throat. “You are relieved from your duties for tonight. I merely have an errand to run before I resign to bed.”

“Oh, I see. I will return to the servant quarters and rest, then.” Arturia rubbed her eyes. “Goodnight, King Gilgamesh.”

Once Arturia was gone and out of sight, Gilgamesh rushed to the kitchen. This was actually his first time entering the kitchen quarters of the palace. Usually only servants entered the kitchen. “Where is the mongrel servant called Shirou?” Gilgamesh asked. 

“He is not here right now, King Gilgamesh.” A servant with wavy brown hair and blue eyes replied. 

“You, are you close to him?” Gilgamesh asked. 

The girl seemed slightly intimidated addressing him directly. “Well, I suppose so. He is a friend of mine, you could say…” Rin said. 

“Do you see him often?” 

“Yes, we see each other everyday.” 

“Good, this is better. I have an order for you.” 

“Y-Yes sir?” 

“Do you know the girl Arturia? The new servant?” 

“Yes sire, I gave her a tour of the palace earlier.” 

“Eh, that was you? I see. Well, that new servant Arturia and that mongrel boy Shirou, if those two interact, I want you to report it to me. No matter how small the conversation, I want it reported to me.” Gilgamesh ordered. 

Suddenly, Rin smiled slyly. “Oh really~” 

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Gilgamesh asked. 

“No reason~” Rin grinned. 

“Well, anyway, report to me whenever they interact.” 

“Of course, King Gilgamesh.” Rin said, a smile still on her face. 

Gilgamesh turned to leave when a thought struck him. This girl was the one who gave that tour to Arturia, right? Does that mean she was with her all day? “Hey, were you the girl putting weird ideas into Arturia’s head? Something about ruling Uruk from my bedchamber?” 

Rin went pale as a sheet. “Um, I would not know anything about that. A simple servant like me would not know anything about how someone could rule a country.” She hated the words that came out of her mouth, but she’d be executed if it came to light that she’d essentially colluded against the king. 

“Oh really? Well, if anyone says anything of that nature, report it to me as well.” Gilgamesh said, unconvinced. 

“Of course, your highness.” Rin said. 

Gilgamesh returned to his room, to put this interesting day to an end.


	2. Chapter 2

A week later, Arturia approached Rin to confess something. “Rin, I am not entirely sure who to talk to about this, so I hope you will not mind my confiding in you.” 

“Go ahead Arturia. We are sisters in servitude so long as you are a servant at this palace.” Rin said. 

“There is a man I am interested in.” 

Rin remembered her king instructing her to keep an eye on Arturia out of jealousy, and how well Arturia did her duties. “I think I know who you are talking about.” Rin smiled. 

“Really? Do you...think he likes me back?” 

“I have an inkling, though I think there is more work to be done on the relationship. Your statuses certainly prove to be a problem.” 

“Status? What status does Shirou have?” 

“Sh...Shirou?” Rin made a realization. Arturia wasn’t talking about the king at all, but his lowly peasant chef with average looks! “Ah, nevermind about the statuses. What matters is that there is a bigger problem—Shirou is engaged to my younger sister Sakura.” 

“He...is engaged?” Arturia asked with a hint of disappointment. 

“Yes, he is. But Arturia, I’m sure there is another, handsomer, more affluent person within these walls to have a crush on.” 

“Really? Who?” 

‘You privileged bitch! If I had the king wrapped like a string around my finger, I would pull him like a marionette until I owned every jewel in Uruk as Queen!’ Rin, of course, didn’t say this aloud. “Well, I can’t tell you who to have a crush on. But here’s my advice: there are far better men under this very roof.” 

“Okay. I will keep that in mind.” Arturia said. 

Rin relayed the conversation to her king that night. “Is it true that your sister is engaged to that boy?” Gilgamesh asked. 

“Yes, it is true.” Rin said. 

“Good. Arturia is honorable. If she knows a man is off limits, she will stay away. We should not have to worry too much about further developments.” 

“King Gilgamesh, is this because you are feeling  
possessive of Arturia?” Rin asked. 

Gilgamesh reddened slightly. “Me? Possessive over a pet? Of course not. However, I do not like other people touching what belongs to me.” 

“So...you are feeling possessive.” 

“Regardless, you dare question the orders of your king?!” 

“Certainly not, your highness. Forgive my insolence.” Rin had a smug smile on her face. 

‘Honestly, she must be the most insolent servant under this roof.’ Gilgamesh thought. Oh well, hell forgive it for now. After all, Arturia would be angry with him if he executed Rin.

For the next month, Gilgamesh and Arturia went about their business as servant and master. Rin continued updating Gilgamesh on Arturia’s relationship with Shirou, which hadn’t progressed much since the engagement was revealed. 

——

_Gilgamesh tried to roll over onto his side in bed, but couldn’t as there was a weight on the lower half of his body. The weight shifted in his lap a little, and he opened his eyes to see what it was. What he found was his cute little servant sitting atop his groin with a coy smile on her face._

_His eyes immediately snapped open upon seeing her visage. “Arturia!” He found, then, that he was unable to move. He was bound to the bed by some inexplicable force. Try as he might to move, he couldn’t break free._

_“Shhh, you would not want to wake the whole palace, would you?” Arturia said at his struggling._

_“Arturia, what are you doing?” He asked finally._

_“What are you dissatisfied with? I do not think this is such a bad position to be in. You wound me, King Gilgamesh; do you not desire me?” Arturia's demure smile contrasted with the flutter of her long eyelashes._

_“The problem is not whether or not I desire you…” Gilgamesh trailed off, entranced by her beautiful eyes and the way the morning sunlight reflected in her hair. “Why are you...on top of me?”_

_“It is within a servant’s nature to serve her master.” Arturia explained. She lifted up his robe to reveal his slightly hard cock. “Ah, truly a magnificent appendage—worthy of a king.” She appraised. “But, it is still not hard. I suppose I will have to work harder to arouse you.” She lifted her top off over her head as she said this, exposing her breasts. She then lifted up her bottom to shuffle out of her skirt, giving Gilgamesh a good view of her chest._

_Gilgamesh’s heart was beating out of his chest. She was so goddamn beautiful as her naked form straddled his lap._

_“Ah, that is much better.” Arturia said, looking down at Gilgamesh’s fully erect cock._

_“Arturia, I do not think you understand the repercussions of this…” Gilgamesh said._

_“There is none to be had. There is nothing wrong with a master sleeping with his servant.”_

_“But...you are a virgin, are you not? Are you sure you are willing to give your virginity away?”_

_“Well, I certainly would not give my virginity to just any man, but if it is you…” A smile played on her lips as she grazed her index finger along his lower lip, “I do not think I mind.”_

_Gilgamesh sighed. This felt wrong. He couldn’t explain it, but everything felt wrong._

_Arturia leaned her head down to be level with his cock and kissed the tip. She then opened her mouth and placed the head of his cock inside. The inside of her mouth felt wet and wonderful. It was soft and wrapped tightly around his sensitive skin._

_Gilgamesh groaned. “Arturia, what are you doing?”_

_Arturia separated her mouth from his cock, a small string of saliva left dangling off her lip. “I told you, King Gilgamesh, it is within a servant's nature to wish to serve her king.” She returned dutifully to her task of pleasuring the king. She licked up and down his shaft, coating him in her warm saliva. Then, she began to use her hands to stroke him up and down._

_Arturia’s mouth felt so good...so wrong but so right at the same time. She was gorgeous...almost ethereal—a true goddess. Not a brat like Ishtar, but a truly strong woman with an inextinguishable fire within her. But even though it felt wonderful...it was wrong. “Arturia, that is enough.”_

_“Hm? What is wrong, King Gilgamesh? Is my technique unsatisfactory?”_

_“No, it is not that. It is just...if it is like this, you receive no pleasure.”_

_Arturia seemed surprised for a moment, then gave a melodic laugh. “Ah, my king is so considerate. Alright, if that is your concern, we will move on to the main course early.” The petite woman began to position herself above Gilgamesh, preparing for insertion._

_“Arturia, you cannot! If you penetrate without preparation, it will hurt!” Gilgamesh protested._

_“Oh, King Gilgamesh, if it is for you, I do not mind a little pain.” Arturia smiled and began to lower herself onto Gilgamesh’s cock. It slid in far too easily and far too quickly. There was no way she could be that wet already, with no preparation or foreplay. And yet, she was on him, her walls tightly wrapped around his cock._

_His entire body was tensed. It felt too good._

_Arturia brushed a bit of golden hair out of her face. She had a light blush on her cheeks, and her eyes were half-lidded in a seductive manner. “Well, King Gilgamesh, how does it feel? Is my body to your liking?”_

_“It...is incredible.” Gilgamesh admitted. She was the hottest woman he’d ever been with._

_This seemed to please Arturia. “I am glad. I am happy that my body is sufficient to please my king.” She began to move her hips, lifting herself up and down on his cock. She bounced as she rode him, letting out slow moans and pants. “I am very—nn—happy.”_

_The stimulation was almost too much for Gilgamesh to bear. Her insides were dripping with bodily fluids that ran from her entrance down his torso. God, she felt so good. It was so good it was almost deadly. This was surely heaven._

_But then, he realized it. She was giving and giving to him, only for him to return nothing. That couldn’t be right. He wanted to make her moan. He wanted to pleasure her as well. Finally, he regained control over his body and was able to move again. The first thing he did was grab Arturia’s hips and thrust his hips powerfully enough to make her yelp. He continued to thrust, surprising her with the unrelenting pleasure._

_“K-King Gilgamesh?” Arturia had finally lost control of the situation. She seemed stunned and almost nervous. But she couldn’t help the moans being released from her mouth as Gilgamesh bucked his hips into her body, his cock sliding in and out of her in quick succession._

_Gilgamesh wanted her to feel good. He wanted to be intimate with her. Even if all this felt wrong, even if it wasn’t meant to be, he wanted to be with her. He pulled her shoulder down to his level and kissed her._

_The kiss was long and passionate, his tongue invading her mouth and claiming its territory. He was acting like a true king, now—taking what he wanted._

_Arturia’s eyes were glazed over and she looked dizzy. She was still moaning as he kissed her. He roughly bit her lip, causing her to yelp. “Is it good, Arturia?” He asked._

_Arturia weakly nodded her head. She finally seemed embarrassed by the situation, by how wanton she was acting. “I-it is too much. I—ah—cannot control myself.”_

_Gilgamesh grinned. That was what he wanted, to see her totally out of control. He wanted to drive her insane with pleasure until she was dizzy and couldn’t think. And it seemed that he was achieving that goal. He kissed her again, letting his mouth cover up the obscene noises Arturia was making. Their hips were slapping against each other as he thrust into her._

_He could finally feel it—he was about to reach his peak. He could tell Arturia was almost there too. He wanted to climax with her. He wanted to watch her face as she experienced the greatest pleasure in the world. “Ah—king Gilgamesh, something is coming!” Arturia shrieked._

_“Good. I am almost there too.” Gilgamesh affirmed, pulling her into another passionate kiss._

_This seemed to be enough for Arturia. She had tears in her eyes as she pulled away. With one last powerful thrust, she met her peak, throwing her head back and screaming. “King Gilgamesh, I love you!”_

_Gilgamesh then released inside of her._

Morning sunlight was streaming in through the windows, burning his eyes. He finally blinked and realized where he was, coming back to reality. Then, it dawned on him what had happened. 

No...this couldn’t be possible. There was no way he’d just had a wet dream about his servant. But the sticky fluid in his pants said otherwise. 

He then realized that the sun was out, meaning Arturia would be there to wake him up any minute. He jumped out of bed and stripped off his clothes. He used the discarded cloth to wipe up any excess fluid on his body. He then ran to the door and flagged down a servant in the hallway. “You, take this and have it washed immediately! And have a bath drawn for me—with cold water!” 

The servant looked rather distressed at being addressed so abruptly. “C-Cold water?” 

“Yes, damn it! You dare question your king?!” 

“N-No sir! I will have it done posthaste!” The servant scurried away, taking the soiled cloth with her. 

And now Gilgamesh was standing in his room, naked and alone. This was...a disturbing turn of events. That dream, what had it meant? Obviously it meant that he was sexually repressed, but what else? And what was with that virgin teenage male fantasy plot?! Entering without preparation?! Was he some teenage boy?! He felt so embarrassed. He literally could not remember the last time he’d had a wet dream. He probably hadn’t had one since he was a boy. 

And...that ending. 

_“King Gilgamesh, I love you!”_

He blushed just remembering it. Was that something he wanted her to say? That...she loved him? The tips of his ears burned. It got him wondering, what were Arturia’s feelings towards him? He obviously had feelings of a sexual nature towards Arturia. Right, that and nothing more. 

Still, this was an occurrence that couldn’t happen again. How was he to relieve himself of these feelings? Well, he could always have sex with Arturia or some prostitute. 

...No. That was out of the question. It wouldn’t feel right. 

Then, he could relieve himself by masturbating? 

Sadly...that was the most practical and reasonable option. It was an option that he’d been avoiding, but it was probably necessary. 

When Arturia finally arrived at Gilgamesh’s room, Gilgamesh had already bathed and dressed into new clothes. 

“Oh my, for once I did not have to forcefully wake you up. Have you decided to finally take your duties seriously?” 

“Ah...sure, Arturia.” Gilgamesh said. He avoided looking at her directly. 

“Is something wrong, King Gilgamesh?” Arturia asked innocently. 

“No. Nothing is wrong. All is well.” Gilgamesh said. “Let us go eat.” 

The sun rose and fell as the day progressed. Gilgamesh was still awkward around Arturia, though she didn’t know why. 

It was after supper when they arrived at Gilgamesh's room that he received a shock. Arturia had started stripping right behind him! “What are you doing?!” 

“Huh? Is this not the usual time we bathe?” Arturia asked, her top already off. 

“Oh...right. Yes, it is.” He said rather sheepishly. He was once again looking at her nude body. She was just as beautiful in real life as she was in his dream. 

That fact only made things worse. 

Gilgamesh threw his clothes off and entered the tub, eager to cover his lower regions in case of any arousal. Arturia entered the tub as well. She lathered some soap onto her hands and began to clean Gilgamesh’s hair of It’s gel. Gilgamesh relaxed a bit as she soothingly massaged his scalp. He relaxed so much that he didn’t hear her talking to him. “Did you say something, Arturia?” 

Arturia looked rather peeved. “I asked if you were excited for Akitu. It is coming up rather soon.” 

Gilgamesh looked slightly surprised at it being brought up. “Right, Akitu.” 

“You do not sound very pleased.” 

“Well, I am actually rather dreading it.” Gilgamesh said. 

“Really?” Then, Arturia had an idea struck. “Ah, I understand. Of course someone as prideful as you would have a problem with akitu and the humbling of the king.” 

“The humbling of the king? Oh, well I suppose i have never enjoyed that either.” 

“That isn’t what you dislike about akitu?” 

“No, I have had to go through the humbling of the king since I was crowned. I am used to it. It is actually the tenth day I am dreading…” 

“Hm? The marriage of Ishtar and Marduk? But it is only a recital of poetry with the high priestess, correct?” 

“Well, in Uruk we have a special tradition regarding the tenth day of Akitu. The king and high priestess do not only recite poetry, they also copulate to celebrate the union of Ishtar and Marduk.” 

“They what?!” Arturia stood up abruptly in shock. 

“What? Are you okay?” Gilgamesh turned around to look at Arturia. 

“Ah...yes. It is just...that is very different from the ritual back in Ur.” Arturia tried to calm herself down. 

“Indeed. Well, the problem is the deity, in essence. Even as a ritual, I dislike the idea of having sex with Ishtar.” 

“Ishtar? But is she not the most beautiful woman in Mesopotamia?” 

If that was true, then Arturia was certainly the second most beautiful. Well, it wasn’t true to begin with, because Gilgamesh was sure there was no other woman in Mesopotamia that was as gorgeous and charming as Arturia. “The problem is not her looks, it is her personality. I dislike ishtar as a woman—no, a person in general. She is bratty and arrogant and annoying. Not to mention...we have considerable bad blood. Regardless, I doubt she wants any part of the ritual either. It will be something we both want to get over with.” 

“I understand.” Arturia said, though she seemed slightly off. 

They finished washing and went back to Gilgamesh’s bedroom, where he sat down with clay tablets to read like he usually did. 

However, the king was having trouble concentrating. 

His mind kept drifting back to his dream. Not necessarily the sexual aspect of it, but what exactly it had meant. Where had it come from? And with what emotions? 

“Arturia,” now, Gilgamesh was only going to ask for her to fetch him some water, but what came out of his mouth was very different, “do you love me?” 

He realized what he’d said when Arturia’s eyes widened. 

“No! I mean, you do not have to answer that! It was a silly question!” Gilgamesh tried to recover. It had honestly just slipped out. He had been ruminating on the events of that dream too much. 

“No, it is alright. I understand perfectly, your highness.” Arturia said with a serene smile. 

“You...do?” 

“Yes. I know I disliked you when I first met you, but that was only because of your sordid past. Meeting you today, in the present, I have come to learn that you are a decent individual and a good king. So, yes, King Gilgamesh, I love you just as the rest of your people do.” Arturia said. 

“The rest...of my people…” Gilgamesh hated everything. That was worse than a rejection. She didn’t even properly understand the question! “I see, thank you, Arturia.” 

“No worries, my king, you are adequate for this country. Though, I am certain I could do better.” Arturia said. 

Gilgamesh decided to just finish his work and not think about her response. At least he hadn’t made things awkward between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so y’all know, the chapters for this will generally be shorter than my other chapters in other fanfics. This fic is meant to be a short n sweet romance. Anyway, poor Gil. He’s so in denial. He caught the feels. Lmao he even had a wet dream! Poor boy.
> 
> Speaking of, after I finish my two shot off, I’ll have this fanfic and my other master Arturia fluff series that I want to start. I wanted to ask which one y’all are more excited for, a new serious story like this one, or a continuation of my rom com Master Arturia fic I finished not long ago. If you guys are more excited for this one, I’ll postpone the start of MA fluff until this one is finished. If you guys want master Arturia fluff more, I’ll alternate between chapters of this one and MA fluff. Regardless, this fic will continue on, but possibly at a slower pace.


	3. Chapter 3

Arturia approached Siduri the next day to elaborate on the ritual about to take place. “Siduri, about Akitu next week, is it true that the ritual on the tenth day differs here from the other cities? King Gilgamesh said that it would be his duty to...copulate with a high priestess during Akitu.” 

Siduri halted her tasks to answer Arturia. “Yes, that is correct. However, the king has requested some changes to the ritual for this year and from now on. Normally, as a high priestess, the duty to play Ishtar would fall to me. But King Gilgamesh has requested that someone else take the role instead.” 

“Really? So...he will choose someone else to play ishtar?” Arturia said this with a slightly lighter tone. 

“Well, he gave specifications. He told me that he specifically wants a girl he has never met before and likely will never meet again to play the role of Ishtar.” 

Arturia seemed slightly crestfallen. “Someone he will never meet again?” 

“Yes. Honestly, I half expected him to request it be you that performs as ishtar, but, well, it seems I was mistaken. Well, that should be fortunate for you.” 

“Yes, it is…” Arturia said. She tucked a clump of hair behind her ear. She felt a strange twist in her gut at the entire ordeal. Gilgamesh would be having sex with a priestess on the tenth day of akitu to celebrate the new year, but it didn’t feel right. It made her almost annoyed that Gilgamesh would be sleeping with some girl. 

Though, she couldn’t understand why she felt that way. 

The closer Akitu came, the more irritable Arturia got. Her temper was short around her king and she was more volatile than she’d ever allowed herself to be (which was still rather tame). 

Akitu finally arrived. On the first three days, sad prayers were recited in the streets by priests. Most people had Akitu off from work, but not Arturia. The servants of the palace were busy making sure preparations were set for the rest of the festival. Arturia’s current duty lay in the temple of Eanna, where she had communicated with a priestess about the festival. She was about to leave when a young woman spoke to her. 

“You reek.” The woman said. 

Arturia turned her head, and found that there was no one else she could be talking to. “Are you speaking to me?” 

“Of course. You reek.” 

“I apologize. I thought I bathed adequately yesterday evening…” 

“No. You reek of divinity. The scent of demigod is all over you.” 

“Demigod? Do you refer to the King?” Arturia assessed the woman in front of her. She was a few inches taller than Arturia, and had a much more womanly body. She was beautiful, with long golden hair and bright red eyes. 

“None other. Tell me, you are the king’s new pet, correct?” 

“Well, I do not like being called a pet, but I am the king's new personal servant.” 

The woman sized Arturia up, looking her up and down. “So this is his type. It is not what I was expecting. How often does he fuck you?” 

Arturia sputtered at the blunt question. “Th-The king would never do such a thing! He has never touched me indecently! I...I was told that sex was not one of my duties.” 

This seemed to surprise the woman. “Really? Not even once? That is rather strange.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Does he treat you well?” 

“The king? Well, he is kind in his own way. He has been rather generous to me regarding my ill friend. He treats me with respect, at the very least.” 

“What exactly is your job if it is not to have sex with the king?” 

“Well...I attend to him, keep him company, and make sure he is on task. That is what Siduri says are my duties.” 

Suddenly, the woman began to laugh. “That poor, lonely boy hired an escort! How pitiful!” It was a derisive and rude laugh, and irritated Arturia. 

“Please do not mock the king in my presence.” Arturia said. 

The woman wiped a tear from her eye. “Of course. How rude of me. Girl, are the rumors true that you are working there to provide for an ill friend?” 

Arturia suddenly became defensive at having Guinevere brought up. “Yes, they are.” 

“If your friend were cured, would you leave him and never return?” 

Arturia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Are you implying you could do that?” 

“Well, truthfully, health aside from fertility is not my jurisdiction, but if I pulled the right strings it may be possible.” 

“Well, I suppose if Guinevere were cured, I would have no reason to stay at the palace. But, I could not agree to leave without conclusive evidence that it is possible.” 

“I understand.” The woman said. “Hey, would you like to know a fun fact about your king? Have you ever wondered why he has no bastard children running around, even given his history with women?” 

The woman didn’t give Arturia time to respond, and continued talking. 

“It is because he never releases inside of them. He has always been careful not to. Why? To avoid responsibility. He does not wish to be tied down to a woman or a child.” 

“That is none of my business.” Arturia cut into her words. “I am simply his servant. Nothing more. What the king does with women is not something I need to know.” 

“Ah, but is it not? You have never wondered why he keeps you around?” 

“I was told it was a simple whim.” 

“Hm, yes, this particular king is prone to flights of fancy, that is true. However, I suspect on good authority that there is more to it than that.” 

“Who are you to say that?” Arturia said irately. 

The woman walked past Arturia, and when Arturia turned around, she was gone. 

“The goddess of love.” Those words lingered in the air. 

Arturia suddenly felt a chill down her spine, and hastily exited the temple. 

When she met up with Gilgamesh again later that evening, she asked him a question. “King Gilgamesh, you mentioned that you have bad blood between you and the goddess Ishtar, right?” 

“Yes. She is a bratty goddess unworthy of my presence. I rejected her marriage proposal, and because of that, she attacked my city with the Bull of heaven. I will spare you the details, but she took something precious from me. I will never forgive her for that. Likewise, she would never forgive me for trampling over her pride.” 

“I see.” Arturia said. It seemed that the goddess Ishtar still hated the king. This might come to affect her future relations with him as well. It was strange, because she had always been taught to obey and worship the gods, but now one was the enemy of her master. She decided to ally herself with Gilgamesh, as he had proven to be a genuine character with a good heart. 

On the fourth day of akitu, the epic poem Enuma Elish was recited by the priests. They talked about the creation of the gods and the earth, and praised the gods in their glory. At night, Arturia attended a drama played in worship of the god Marduk held at the palace. She sat at the left hand of Gilgamesh, which was strange, considering that is normally the seat for a wife, not a personal servant. 

The fifth day was the submission of the king. Gilgamesh was taken into the palace, stripped of his jewelry and clothing, and slapped hard across the face. He then got down onto his knees and offered a prayer to Marduk. 

‘Just get it over with. The sooner this is over, the better.’ He’d promised Siduri he’d participate in Akitu like a normal king. As he rose to stand again, he was once again slapped across the cheek. He wouldn’t do them the favor of shedding tears. He dressed back in his robes and left the temple. He remained calm and poised until he returned to his bedchamber where Arturia was waiting for him. Then he grabbed a desk from It’s corner, and threw it down. 

“King Gilgamesh?!” Arturia stood up at the violent action.” 

“Damn those gods! Damn them and their stupid traditions! Why must I be humiliated?! Damnit! I hate them! All they do is take and take and take and then demand worship as if they have not taken what I love most!” 

Arturia brought him a pillow. “Here, scream into this. We cannot have the entire palace hear you yelling such blasphemy.” 

Gilgamesh took the pillow and screamed his lungs out into it. He was then able to relax. He felt a warm finger tap his still stinging cheek. 

“That is a nasty bruise. Perhaps we should put a salve on it to heal it faster.” Arturia said, tracing the injury with her fingertip. 

“Come with me.” Gilgamesh ordered. 

“Where?” 

“Have you ever heard of the treasury of King Gilgamesh?” 

Arturia was awestruck at the room before her. It was filled with all sorts of jewels, treasures, and weapons. Arturia picked up a sword and examined it. “This is of the finest quality!” She said. 

“Of course. Everything in my treasury is of fine quality. These treasures are unmatched.” Gilgamesh boasted. 

“If you have this much wealth, why do you still tax your citizens?” 

“Of course that is the first thing you ask.” Gilgamesh sighed. “This wealth is mine and mine alone. Perhaps someday, if needed, I would share it—but for now, it is not necessary.” 

Arturia seemed to disapprove, but said nothing further. She walked into the room and studied the glittering treasures, all neatly arranged. If something seemed to catch her eye, she would examine it closer, before moving on. 

Gilgamesh picked up a gold necklace with a large emerald. “Come here. This would match your eyes beautifully.” 

Arturia came and allowed him to put the necklace on her. She looked down at the emerald that now sat at her collar. “I do not know if I fancy such flashy displays of wealth.” She confessed. 

“Get used to it. Displays of wealth are my forte.” 

Arturia gingerly removed the necklace and gave it back to Gilgamesh. “I am more interested in your collection of fine weaponry.” She walked off to explore the row of swords arranged in the room. 

‘I was planning on giving this to her, and yet she hands it back to me?’ Gilgamesh watched her ardently examine a blade. ‘Perhaps she is better suited to a blade as a gift rather than a necklace.’ 

“You own them, but do you know how to use them?” Arturia asked with a grin. 

“A sword? Of course.” It was then that a blade was tossed to him, which he caught in the air. 

“Then, let us duel.” Arturia gripped a different sword in her hand. 

Gilgamesh smirked. “So be it.” 

Their swords clashed, steel on steel, enough to draw sparks. Gilgamesh’s blows were stronger, but it soon became apparent that Arturia had a greater degree of skill. 

Gilgamesh pulled back from the fray. “Who taught you to fight like this?” 

“My foster father, Sir Ector did. He taught me how to fight as a warrior. Sadly, he died in a war involving Ur the year before last.” 

“He was a good teacher. You are certainly skilled. Though, I doubt you could hold your own against me in a match of wrestling.” 

Arturia huffed. “I certainly would not claim to be able to beat you in brute strength, but I pride myself in my sword technique.” 

“Why are you able to fight as though you have had a lot of experience?” 

Arturia then became strangely grim. “As a young male warrior, it is only a given that I would participate in a few wars. It certainly helped keep food on the table for Guinevere.” 

Gilgamesh blinked. He had not known that Arturia had been in wars. This also meant that she’d likely killed as well. “How many?” 

“Every war involving Ur since my fifteenth year.” 

That was ridiculous! That was twelve wars all in the past ten years! He noticed that Arturia looked tense, and decided to change the subject. “Well, your skills certainly are something to speak of. Rejoice. Your king has appraised you, and has deemed you worthy.” Gilgamesh said. 

Arturia rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, truly my greatest accomplishment.” 

“Truly.” Gilgamesh ignored her sarcasm. 

Arturia jokingly pouted for a second, then smiled. 

Gilgamesh felt his heart beat. She truly was a wonderful woman, suited to being his pet. 

And nothing more…

On the sixth day of Akitu, Uruk was filled with commotion. Puppets that were made on the third day were burned, and statues mounting boats floated in the water. Gilgamesh walked through the city, leading a crowd of his people to the temple. They chanted, “here’s he who is coming from far to to restore the glory of our imprisoned father.” 

On the seventh day, Marduk is released from his prison, and the people celebrate. But only after a huge battle between Nabu and the evil gods who had closed the gate to Marduk. This was all, of course, symbolic, and only reenactments of battles took place. 

On the eighth day, Gilgamesh himself had to ask his own people to worship Marduk and the gods. Though, he became so disgusted with himself, that he ended it short and had Siduri take care of the rest. 

On the ninth day, they visited the house of prayers, where many trees grew in the ground to honor Marduk. 

Finally, the tenth day arrived. It was the day Gilgamesh had been dreading above all. He didn’t want to fuck Ishtar, even if it was just symbolic. But he’d promised Siduri that he’d go through with it, to show the people of Uruk that he was still a good king. Even after he’d left for seven long years, he was still a good king…

“You are positive you are ready, Sire?” Siduri asked him as she walked with Gilgamesh to the temple of Eanna, Arturia following close behind. 

“Yes, I am positive.” Gilgamesh said, gulping down a lump in his throat. 

“Alright, then I will leave you to it. I trust in your abilities, King Gilgamesh. Remember your duties.” Siduri said her last words of encouragement before leaving. 

Arturia stayed with him for a moment. “So this is part of your kingly duty, correct?” She asked. 

“Yes. Unfortunately, it is.” Gilgamesh answered. 

“I understand. I will wait with Siduri.” Arturia said. 

“Alright.” Gilgamesh opened the door to the temple room, where a ceremonial bed awaited him. 

“King Gilgamesh!” Arturia suddenly called out. Gilgamesh turned back immediately. Arturia seemed to struggle for a moment. “Good...good luck.” She said at last. 

“Thank you. I will be finished soon.” Gilgamesh entered the room and shut the door. What a pity, he’d almost hoped she would try to stop him. 

Arturia went to Siduri and asked to be excused to visit her friend for the duration of the ritual. Siduri, of course, allowed this. Arturia went to the small house that had been provided for Guinevere, bringing along with her some foods from the festival. 

She passed a large crowd of citizens along the way, all dancing with joy and merry. It was very different from her own mood, which was tumultuous at best. 

“Guinevere?” Arturia said as she entered the house. 

“Arturia. How have you been? Are you enjoying the festivities? I can hear them from my room, and they sound even grander than they were in Ur.” Guinevere smiled at her friend. 

Arturia smiled back. Having Guinevere as company lessened the burden on her heart. “The festival is wonderful, Guinevere, I wish you could experience it for yourself.” 

“You seem sad. Is something wrong?” Guinevere asked immediately. She’d known Arturia long enough to know when the girl was masking her emotions, as she so often did. 

“I...no, nothing is wrong. Or...nothing _should_ be wrong.” Arturia admitted. “The truth is, I do not really understand my emotions as of late.” 

“Talk to me, tell me what is bothering you.” Guinevere grabbed one of Arturia’s hands. 

“It is today’s ceremony, I think.”

“The union of Ishtar and Marduk?” 

“Yes. The ritual differs in Uruk from what it was in Ur. It is no longer just a recital of poetry from the throne, the high priestess and the king are meant to have sex in order to consummate the union in Uruk.” 

Guinevere thought about this for a moment. “And you are unhappy because the king will be having sex?” 

Arturia paused. “I think so. I do not really understand why. I know it is his duty as king, but for some reason I cannot help but be angry.” 

“Oh, Arturia,” Guinevere squeezed her hand, “that is jealousy.” 

“Jealousy? What am I jealous of?” 

“You are jealous that the king is having sex with another woman.” 

Arturia deliberated on this. “Why would I...be jealous of that?” 

“Perhaps you would have wanted him to have sex with you instead.” 

“But...I do not really feel things like that.” 

“I cannot say your feelings for certain, but it seems like you have special feelings for the king, and that is why you have a problem with him having sex with other women. To you, it must feel like cheating, especially after he has given you so much undivided attention.” 

Arturia let this sink in. “Nevermind my feelings. How are you? It must be terrible being cooped up here during Akitu.” 

“Oh, I will survive. I am just happy that I have a clean bed and good food. And more importantly, that my precious best friend is well taken care of.” Guinevere smiled. 

“That is always how you have been. Do you not want anything?” 

“Well, it would be nice to see the palace someday. You must get to see it all the time now that you work there.” 

“I do not know if I can make that happen, but I will try.” Arturia smiled. 

—-

Gilgamesh continued to thrust into the priestess from behind, with little concern to her well-being. Damnit! Why couldn’t he finish! He just wanted this to end! It had already taken him a good ten minutes just to get hard, now he wasn’t able to finish properly! Why couldn’t this just end so he could go see Arturia!

Arturia…

For a split second, he imagined that it was Arturia he was thrusting into rather than some priestess, and within that second, he pulled out and came. 

Once he came down from his short lived high, he pushed the priestess away. “Leave. Now.” He grunted. 

The priestess gathered her things and exited the room. 

Gilgamesh collapsed upon the bed in the room. The covered his face with his hands. He hated this. He hated akitu. He hated the gods. He hated isthar. Hell, he hated everyone except Enkidu and maybe Arturia. And most of all, he hated himself. 

He decided he may be able to drown his sorrows in alcohol, and picked up a cup of wine provided for him. There had been a table of food and drink set out for Gilgamesh and the priestess, although only the priestess ate. 

He took a sip from the cup, and once he lowered it, a voice rang out. “My, that took a rather long time, did it not?” 

The form of a beautiful woman appeared in the reflection of the wine. 

Without hesitation, Gilgamesh threw the cup of wine across the room. 

“Well that is no way to treat a goddess in her own temple.” The reflection of ishtar now materialized in a bronze mirror across the room. 

“What do you want?” Gilgamesh snarled. 

“What do I want? This is my ritual, Gilgamesh. Of course I would attend.” 

“You did not possess that priestess—“ 

“Of course not! As if I want the cock of a man I despise to be inside me, even if it is not my own body. Now do not be so hostile, I merely came to talk. I spent a considerable amount of energy to materialize in front of that girl, and got an interesting piece of information for it.” 

“You appeared in front of Arturia?!” Gilgamesh said. 

“Of course. I could smell the scent of you on her from a mile away. What I want to know is why you have not touched her?” 

“That is none of your business.” Gilgamesh said with finality. He couldn’t do that, it wouldn’t be right. It would tarnish Enkidu’s memory. 

“Ah, but you forget, I am the goddess of love and desire. I can see plainly that you desire her, it is written all over you. So I ask again, why have you not touched her?” 

“I told you, that is none of your business. And if you approach Arturia again, I will—“ 

“You will what? You know you cannot execute me, right? The Age of Gods may be coming to an end, but you are still far too early to defeat us. Listen to me Gilgamesh, have you never considered that this girl may become a weakness?” 

“Arturia is no weakness. You have no idea who she is.”

“Perhaps. But she means too much to you.” 

“Do not be a fool. She is simply my pet lioness.” 

The reflection of Ishtar smirked. “There is no use lying to the goddess of love.” 

“I am not lying.” The one and only person he would ever love and cherish as an equal was already dead. 

Ishtar looked as though she was going to say something else, until the door slammed open. Arturia revealed herself at the doorway, panting as if she’d sprinted all the way there. “What are you still doing here?! Siduri told me the ritual ended fifteen minutes ago. Did you think your duties ended with that? Of course not! There is still much to do!” Arturia stomped into the room, grabbed Gilgamesh by the love of his ear, and pulled him to the door as if he was a disobedient child. 

“Ow, ow, owww!” Gilgamesh protested. “Arturia stop!” 

Arturia abruptly released his ear, making him stumble a bit. “Come, king Gilgamesh. There is more to do.” 

Gilgamesh sighed and followed Arturia back to the palace. Although he had to admit, he felt a lot better now that he was in her presence. It was like finally being able to breathe after being strangled. 

Arturia didn’t seem to feel the same way. She was stomping her feet all the way to the palace. 

Once they finally arrived, Gilgamesh asked, “Are you angry, Arturia?” 

Arturia turned to look at him, then turned back to look in front of herself. “Yes.” She said finally. 

“Why? Did I do something?” 

“Yes.” 

“What did I do?” 

Arturia was silent for a while. 

“Well, whatever I did, I am apologizing for it.” Gilgamesh said. 

“...You mean that?” Arturia asked. 

“Yes.” 

Arturia grimaced. “Then choose me next time.” She mumbled so that no one could hear. 

“What did you say?” Gilgamesh asked. 

“Nothing! I did not say anything. Nevermind that, there is still work to do for the festival!” Arturia said, but in a much better mood after his apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another chapter is here. It’s nice working with shorter chapters. I can get them out quicker and they’re lower stress. Anyway, poor Gil. As the story goes on, you’ll see more and more of how the grief is affecting him. 
> 
> Anyway, about MA fluff. I had one person say that they wanted me to work on it at the same time as this fic, but I don’t think I can manage that with two body problem. So, I’ll start MA fluff right after I finish TBP. Then I’ll work on the two fics at the same time. Chapters might take longer to come out, but I’ll try to manage. I’ll try to prioritize this fic, because MA fluff is rlly just a series of one shots in the ma storyline. 
> 
> Like always, thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Yoooooo guys this is my next and probably last original chartered fic. I hope you guys will like it as much as my others! I’m quite fond of it. Any comments are appreciated lol. I hope you all enjoy!


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